A new Chapter

"I can not give birth to a child," She said it with stumbling voice. Her eyes were wet, and her face was in fear. She was sure that he would break up, after all, who would marry a girl who can not give birth to a child. He hugged her as tightly as he could.

"Let's just get married." He replied.

"But" She tried speaking.

"Shh," He replied caressing her hairs gently.

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Ashi came bursting through the door. Her cheeks were red and her body was wet in sweat, she seemed rushed—panicked.

“Listen!” She exclaimed. Her eyes were bloodshot, and my heart sank to the floor.

“Look,” she said. I waited silently and impatiently for her to open her hand.

A small stick was there, and from the way, her hand was shaking and the way her voice cracked when she tried to speak, I knew immediately.

“Yeah?” was all I could say.

“Yeah.” She nodded, her voice small but full of life. I looked down at her, and she lifted her hands to my face. I hadn’t even felt the tears there until she wiped them.

“You’re sure?” I asked like an idiot.

“Yes, obviously.” She tried to laugh but she broke into happy tears, and so did I.

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In between all the screaming and pains, I heard a dubious sound of crying. A tear dropped from my eyes. I was a mother now.

I wouldn't say it was facile or endurable. The gain in weight, the swelling feet, losing the bladder control. Oh God! It's such a magical time, and I know I am going to miss it.

I could now feel the happiness of my family inside this room. I still didn't know whether it is a daughter or a son? Or whom does it look like? But I surely knew one thing that I would love it more than I loved anything in this world. 

Maa came inside the room. She had a sheer smile on her face. The baby was in her hands.  

"It is a girl." She said and handed the baby in my lap with the same sheer smile on her face. 

I was filled with tears inside my eyes and a broad smile on my face. I wiped those tears with one hand and kissed my girl on her cheeks. Some tears fell on her cheeks, I wiped them off very carefully. Her skin was like a cotton ball, so soft and delicate.

I really could not get off my eyes from her. She opened her small eyes. She was yawning then, what a cute little yawn that was. I then somehow felt that she was going to cry. And then, she started crying, on first hearing that little voice- fine and friable. But the impact of it on my soul was that of the highest magnitude of the earthquake. Those that occur every hundred years, say, or every thousand.  

I started swinging my girl up and down, very slowly and cautiously, singing La vie en rose as a lullaby. After a minute or two, she stopped crying. I was in tears now.

"I promise you, mamma will love you more than anyone can ever love you and she would never ever let you cry." Isn't it beautiful to give birth to your own kind?

"Can I come in? " It was Nitin. My husband. I looked up with half wet and half-smiling eyes. He knew it was a yes.

"We did it," I said it to him.

"No honey, you did it." He replied, with a kiss on my forehead.

"How are you feeling? You were screaming really too loud." I hate his timings, but I know he genuinely cares. He sat beside me, one hand on my shoulder and another below my hand, holding our daughter.

"Her eyes look like yours." I broke the silence.

"But else she is exactly your copy. The exact tiny nose as of yours, those little lips."

He wrapped his arms around her and said, "I would be a better father than anyone had ever been."

"Oh look, she is smiling." She was smiling. 

"That is exactly like how your papa smiles." He muttered as kiddish as he could be.

He kissed me once again on my forehead and said, "Thank you. I know it wasn't that easy."

"Did you thought of any name?" I asked with a little pout.

"Nishi?" He was smiling.

"Nishi it is then." I kissed her soft cheeks once again.

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